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For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of stillness".

It marks the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective urge to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others argue that framing white as aspirational carries racial undertones, creating unease within continuing political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white bears deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks amplifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue feels gentle and elegant rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury